The future is China

I have looked at the crystal ball and our future is bright. In one week, I saw two reasons why Naija future is bright. Ifeanyinchukwu Hezekiah, 24 has made a car from scraps taken from kèké napep and other sundry items. He is waiting for help to make it big. He is not alone, 15-year-old Hope […]

I have looked at the crystal ball and our future is bright. In one week, I saw two reasons why Naija future is bright. Ifeanyinchukwu Hezekiah, 24 has made a car from scraps taken from kèké napep and other sundry items. He is waiting for help to make it big. He is not alone, 15-year-old Hope Emmanuel Frank, is almost ahead of him. He made a prototype excavator and truck from scraps. His contraption works like a charm. If this boy’s prototype gets manufactured, car manufacturers would have nothing on him, because his invention is powered by discarded computer battery. In other words, it is environment-friendly. These inventors are the reason Jelani Aliyu returned to Naija. Not much is known about what the Chevrolet whizzkid has been doing since his return. Hellooo!

If these boys see their dreams come true, we would flood Euroamerica with top grade machines. They will beg us to make them cars of the future past. How do I know? A pumped Muhammadu Buhari has returned from London nearly clocking 500 days outside on a four-year mandate. He returned to a rousing welcome. Shame on those who predicted that he would extend his visit to see his doctors because as he stands, Buhari could challenge Caster Semenya to a marathon. The electorate made a great choice for their future and ours. In February, there were spring chickens like Tope Fasua, Obiageli Ezekwesili and take it back exponent – Omoyele Sowore – all young, agile and full of common sense and great ideas, but majority of condemned youths chose ‘experience’.

Last week in Ottawa, my Haiti-born auto mechanic took time off to make an elevator sales pitch. In-between mounting my summer tyres, he brought out three Chinese products he knows would make Tunde Fashola win the Nobel for solving Naija’s hydraheaded power problems. A light bulb that stores power when there is power for three hour use when there is none, two solar powered lamp one of which is motion-censored security lighting with enough brightness to blind an intruder. My shame is that Naija’s inability to solve its power issues is known even in Haiti!

But what inspired hit me most is that China is not joking. For the last millennia of its closure to the outside world, China was studying history. It saw empires rise and fall, including the one that built its celebrated Wall. According to Euroamerica news, China was starving its citizens and polluting the environment during that dark era. Please tell Euroamerica its – fake news. The evidence shows that China was saving its foreign reserves to induce Euroamerican vassal states for future financial domination.

During that era, China acquired nuclear arms, the best way to stave off established bullies. In due time with its buoyant foreign reserves, China opened \ its doors for socialist-capitalism. By then, entire swatches of land had been turned into sprawling industrial and residential estates of the future. The houses are there, complete with roads and facilities – waiting for future occupancy. China is not joking.

With its enormous power and deep understanding of global politics, the Chinese empire is not primed to conquer by force of arms even though it has the capacity. China is an obedient member of the United Nations. China played the role of the ancient farmer – demonstrate the chickens that you have the corn and they’ll come rushing. China opened its Yen to Africa with its natural resources that its clueless leaders misuse and the continent have swallowed the bait.

China offers Greek gifts. It knows that the continents ruiners ignore the fine prints and would sign any paper. It beckoned to these ruiners and they showed up in their outlandish jets and zany suits to sign off on loans. Their avarice goes before judicious use of such loans and by ignoring the fine prints they have acquiesced to sell off what is left of the continent. Gradually, China is taking over but the ruiners are filled with praise.

The poor Ifeanyinchukwu and Hope, his co-inventor should never ask Innoson Motors or Ezekiel Izuogwu, or Guitar Boy Victor Uwaifo. Even with a Jelani Aliyu magic, Euroamerica would put their invention on the environmental chopping board in favour of discarding their tokunbo.

Lagos remains the economic capital of Naija. Somewhere in that city is a dumpster called Alaba International Market. It could be beautifully called the Chinese Dustbin. The Emir of Lagos has just imposed an Iyaloja and Babaloja to head that market and prevent the Ibo from feeling that the market too is a No Man’s Land. The Ibo sustained three years of civil war largely on their own inventions. The Aba shoe industry is second to none in the world, but Naija people prefer tokunbo shoes – even rubber slippers.

I have seen the future and China runs its empire. It would expand its influence with benign legitimacy in the land that has everything but not the knowledge to use it well. This land that discovered fire 5 billion years ago but still imports the matchbox. This land that created hieroglyphics but is yet to make its own pencil even in an era of iPads. My Haiti born mechanic with his knowledge of petrol engines has no future in a world of electric cars, so he plans to close shop, live his dream selling Chinese products to those who exported his ancestors as slaves to an uninhabitable, distant and earthquake prone land.

Let’s welcome Buhari to his second term, his NextLevel but ask him what future hope he brings and what role his Chinese friends would play in it.